Whisky: Undisclosed Island Distillery, Single Cask Nation for Water of Life Film

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 48.8%

Cask: Oak

Nose: Citrus, orange, maritime, minerals and soft brine, heather, malty bread, hints of dandelion greens and herbs.

Palate: Medium to light-body, oily, citrusy and maritime, hints of vanilla and cream, heather, grassy sugar, and chalk.

Finish: Medium to short with lemon, hints of cream, and fresh grassy sugar cane.

Score: 6

Mental Image: Sorbets and Sunsets

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was citrusy and pleasant, with an underlying herbal character. Oranges and lemons with hints of cream arrived along a seaside boardwalk— old wooden planks, soft brine, and dissolved minerals. Malty bread, something akin to a multigrain loaf with caraway and various seeds pressed on top, developed with plenty of heather and grassy herbal notes of dandelion greens and matcha tea. The mouthfeel fell on the lighter end of medium-bodied but carried a lovely oily quality. Citrus and subtle salt drove the flavor profile with orange, tangerine, lime, and hints of tart grapefruit. The effect was less freshly cut fruit than a creamy sorbet with subtle vanilla. Heather and vaguely grassier sugars waited with more salt and a drying chalk note toward the end. Medium to short with lemon, hints of cream, and fresh grassy sugar cane.

This mystery malt was released by Single Cask Nation in conjunction with the Water of Life film detailing some of the key personalities, i.e. Jim McEwan, in the contemporary whisky industry. I heard mixed reviews about this malt, whose origins remain a bit mysterious, though I have been told there are clues in the film. If I had to hazard a guess, I would throw my dart squarely in the direction of Arran as the flavors here reminded me a lot of their Lochranza distillery. My success rate at blindly identifying distilleries based on single casks is not high, so I would not put money on my guess, but there is a definite familiarity.

Overall, I thought the malt was lovely. It was on the upper end of what I might consider average, and I would describe it as a typical upper-end casual sipper. I love citrusy maritime profiles, and I thought this had a lovely oily quality on the palate, even if I wished the finish was a bit longer and the flavors a tad punchier.